SoftBank-Backed Chip Firm Arm Said to Meet Investors Ahead of IPO: Details

Arm Holdings plans to launch its roadshow for investors after Labor Day, as the chip designer prepares for its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in September, according to people familiar with the matter. Arm, owned by SoftBank Group, is expected to set a price range for its offering next week, the sources said, adding the company plans to price its shares on September 13, with stock trading to start the following day.

SoftBank plans to sell about 10 percent of Arm's shares in the IPO at a valuation of $60 billion (roughly Rs. 4,96,095 crore) to $70 billion (roughly Rs. 5,80,600 crore), Reuters has previously reported. SoftBank decided to sell fewer Arm shares in the IPO after buying the 25 percent stake in Arm it did not directly own from its Vision Fund unit.

Several customers of Arm have held talks about taking a piece of the IPO including Apple, Amazon.com, Intel, Nvidia, Alphabet, Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, and TSMC, Reuters has previously reported. Arm and SoftBank have set aside 10 percent of the shares to be sold in the IPO for its clients.

A successful IPO for Arm would be a boon for SoftBank, which in August reported its third consecutive quarterly loss, hit by declines in valuations of major holdings such as Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group, German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom and US wireless carrier T-Mobile US.

Goldman Sachs Group, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, and Mizuho Financial Group are the lead underwriters for the offering. Arm's shares will be listed on the Nasdaq and traded under the ticker symbol 'ARM'.

Bloomberg reported on Arm's IPO timeline earlier on Thursday. 

© Thomson Reuters 2023